Hand, wrist and fore-arm exercising device



` K. M. BROWN 3,396,967 HAND, WRIST AND F OREARM EXERCISING DEVICE Aug.13, 1968 Filed Oct. 22, 1965 l l I f l n l l r I l n l I I I l f I u l In I I l i I United States Patent() M 3,396,967 HAND, WRIST AND FORE-ARMEXERCISING DEVICE Keith Morris Brown, 176 Liverpool Road, Kilsyth,Victoria, Australia Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 501,280 Claimspriority, application Australia, Aug. 16, 1965, 62,927/65 v- 4 Claims.(Cl. 272-67) This invention relates to an exercising device and isdirected particularly to apparatus for use in performing exercises tostrengthen the muscles of the hand, the wrist and the fore-arm.

Exercises which strengthen the muscles of the hand, the wrist and thefore-arm are particularly valuable to Sportsmen engaged in sports wherethese muscles are continually brought into play in holding and wieldingbats, rackets, golf clubs and the like and also for athletes such asoarsmen where strength of these muscles is important. Further, it isdesirable that the user may be able to gradually increase the Work doneduring exercising as he progresses through an exercising program.

The objects of the invention are, accordingly, to provide an exercising-device of the above-mentioned type which is simple and cheap toconstruct, which provides an effective means for exercising and trainingthe muscles in question and which is readily adapted to increase ordecrease the strain imposed during exercising according to theparticular requirements of the user.

With the above objects in view, there is provided, according to thisinvention, an exercising device comprising a pair of hand grips mountedrotatably relative to each other and a resilient element which imposes aload tending to oppose such relative rotation. More particularly, theinvention comprises a spindle having hand grips mounted on its ends soas to be rotatable relatively to each other and a resilient elementpositioned between the hand grips so as to impose a load on the handgrips resisting their relative rotation. Preferably, the spindle isscrew-threaded and engages an internal screw-thread in at least one ofthe hand grips. Preferably also, the resilient element is a compressionspring mounted on the spindle and bearing at each end against the end ofthe adjacent hand grip.

In order that the invention may be described in greater detail, apreferred embodiment thereof will now be described with reference to theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an exercising device in accordancewith the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken lengthwise through the device, and

FIGURES 3 and 4 show one Way of using the device.

As shown in the drawings, the device comprises a spindle 1 which isscrew-threaded at its ends 2, 3` and carries about its mid-section astrong helical compression spring 4. The screw-threaded ends of thespindle engage internal threads on steel plugs 5, 6 which are securedwithin the ends of tubular hand grip portions 7, 8 respectively. Thesehand grip portions are covered with a suitable material such as rubber,leather or the like to enable them to be effectively and comfortablygripped by the user. The ends of the compression spring 4 bear againstwashers 9, 10 mounted on the spindle 1 between the compression springand the inner ends of the hand grips 7, 8. The threaded plug 5 is weldedto the end 2 of the spindle while the plug 6, and the hand grip 8, arerotatable in relation to the spindle. In eiect, therefore, the spindle 1comprises a lead screw and the plug 6 comprises a lead nut which may beadvanced or retracted along the screw in order to compress or relax thespring.

In one method of using the device, it is held out in 3,396,967 PatentedAug. 13, 1968 front of the body in a vertical position with the palms ofthe hands facing generally towards each other, one hand grasping theupper hand grip and the other hand the lower hand grip. The upper handgrip is then turned clockwise and the lower hand grip is turnedanti-clockwise whereby the hand grips move towards each other andcompress or further compress the spring (see FIGURE 3). This exercisesthe muscles controlling palmar flexion, i.e. the muscles on the insideof the fore-arm.

When this movement has been completed, the hand grips are rotated in theopposite directions (see FIGURE 4), thereby exercising the musclescontrolling dorsiflexiou, i.e. the muscles at the back of the fore-arm.

In each case, the gripping muscles and tendons and ligaments controllingwrist strength are also exercised.

Before commencing an exercise, the spring can be preloaded by rotatingthe hand grips so as to compress the spring to the desired extent. Thegreater the initial compression of the spring, the more dilicult it isto rotate the hand grips during an exercise. It is, accordingly, asimple matter to undertake a series of exercises which gradually becomemore diflicult.

Preloading the spring in the manner described above is possible mainlybecause of frictional resistance to relative rotation between thespindle and the lead screw constituted by the plug 6 in the hand grip 8.Frictional forces between the washers 9, 10 and the ends of the springalso help to retain the spring in a preloaded condition. While thecompression of the spring comprises the major portion of the load to beovercome while the hand grips are being rotated so as to bring themcloser together, the above-mentioned frictional resistances provide aload sufficient to exercise the muscles concerned even when the handgrips are being rotated so as to slacken olf the spring.

To enable the loading of the spring to be gauged, the device may beprovided with a pointer and scale to indicate the amount of deformationof the spring. In a further reinement of the apparatus, one or both ofthe hand grips could be provided with an extended skirt which covers andconceals the spring. Where both hand grips have an extended skirt, onewould be arranged telescopically within the other and in such anarrangement it would be convenient to provide a scale on the innerskirt.

It would be possible for both plugs 5, 6 to be freely rotatable on thespindle, but the advantage of having one of the plugs fixed to thespindle as described above is that one ofthe handles cannot then 'beunwound olf the spindle while the spring is still under compression.

Whilst there has been described above one particular device which may beconstructed in accordance with this invention and a simple form ofexercise which may be carried out using that device has been explained,it is to be understood that the construction of the device may be variedand that it may be used for other exercises and for the development ofother muscles. One readily apparent modification which may be made tothe construction would be the replacement of the friction washers andcompression spring with a torsion spring or other torsion resistantelement. These and other modifications are to be understood as comingwithin the spirit and scope of this invention which includes every novelfeature and cornbination of features above disclosed.

I claim:

1. An exercising device comprising a spindle and a pair of hand gripmeans, each hand grip means comprising a cylinder having a lengthsubstantially greater than its diameter, the diameter of one hand gripmeans being the same as the other, one hand grip means beingnon-rotatably mounted on one end of the spindle, screw threads on theother end of the spindle, the other hand grip means being threadablyengaged with the said other end of the spindle, and a compression springmounted on the spindle grip means resisting their relative rotation;

Z. An exercising device asin claim 1, and further comprising washers onthe spindle to provide bearing surfaces for the' ends of the'c'onpessonspring. g f

3. An exercising device comprising a spindle nd'a pair of hand gripmeans, each hand gripv means'comprising-a cylinder having a lengthsubstantially greater than its `diameter, the diameter of one hand gripmeans being' the same as the other, one hand grip means `beingnon-rotatably mounted on one end of the spindle, screwthreads on theother end of the spindle, va leadnut thl'eadabiy` engaged with'the saidother end of'the spindle, the other hand grip means non-rotatablyconnected 'to said lead nut, and a resilient element positioned betweenthephand grip between the hand grip means to impose aA load on the handYtheir'relative rotaiin.

the, hand gfinmeans rssisfig means to impose a load on 4. An exercisingdevice asfin claim 3, wherein the resilient element comprises acompression spring which, under compression, imposes an raxial load onsaid hand grip l'Refer-'ences Cited l lUNITED STATES PATENTS 684,117,1o/ 1901, s16a1 1` 6 272-68 8,231,438j1 311908 Non 272-68 1,604,333'V1071926 Anderson' "272-67 2,973,962 3/1961 `Grunn 272-67 RICHARD C.PINKHAM,vPrmary Examiner.

1. AN EXERCISING DEVICE COMPRISING A SPINDLE AND A PAIR OF HAND GRIPMEANS, EACH HAND GRIP MEANS COMPRISING A CYLINDER HAVING A LENGTHSUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN ITS DIAMETER, THE DIAMETER OF ONE HAND GRIPMEANS BEING THE SAME AS THE OTHER, ONE HAND GRIP MEANS BEINGNON-ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON ONE END OF THE SPINDLE, SCREW THREADS ON THEOTHER END OF THE SPINDLE, THE OTHER HAND GRIP MEANS BEING THREADABLYENGAGED WITH THE SAID OTHER END OF THE SPINDLE, AND A COMPRESSION SPRINGMOUNTED ON THE SPINDLE BETWEEN THE HAND GRIP MEANS TO IMPOSE A LOAD ONTHE HAND GRIP MEANS RESISTING THEIR RELATIVE ROTATION.